The deadlock has been broken and Team New Zealand only need two more race wins to lift the America's Cup.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The defenders won both races on Monday to lead the series 5-3 and move a step closer to keeping the oldest trophy in international sport at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club in Auckland.
Team New Zealand rewrote the script of the 36th America's Cup on day five of racing with the biggest comeback of the regatta.
Having already achieved the first lead change of the series - and a go ahead victory - in the seventh race, they saved something special for race eight.
In unsteady and light winds on race course E, Team New Zealand fell off their foils on leg two. An error that looked certain to have handed Luna Rossa the opportunity to even up the scoreline again.
But the defenders were able to pull off the unexpected. Turning a four minute deficit into a near four minute win.
Team New Zealand flight controller and Olympic sailing champion Blair Tuke summed up what the 38 minutes of Monday's last race was like.
"Certainly one to keep that was pretty unreal fightback from the guys there," Tuke said.
"Obviously we made a pretty costly error gybing right behind them on the first downwind and fell off the foils but got it back up reasonably quickly and then sailed a great race from there."
Tuke and Burling Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Getting back on the foils meant the difference between losing and leading and New Zealand's helmsman Peter Burling credited the work horses of the boat - the six grinders - for pushing Te Rehutai to that crucial fifth victory of the series.
"It's definitely the more tense side of racing when you know every maneuver is super critical to actually keeping your boat on the foil and if you do fall of the foil you might not be able to take back off so I think it was just an amazing effort by our grinding team to be able to power up and depower the boat super quick," Burling said.
Luna Rossa crossed the start line first in both races, but bucking the trend of the previous race days, they couldn't convert from in front.
Co-helmsman Francesco Bruni admitted the two losses were a mix of human and mechanical errors.
"First race today the boat was not going exactly 100 percent and we could have done better. I won't go into the details obviously but I'm sure that tomorrow we can be faster, for many reasons, and obviously the Kiwis are learning as well and they are the best team and we have to keep fighting," Bruni said.
Jimmy Spithill Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Bruni's never give up spirit was backed up by his fellow helmsman Jimmy Spithill.
"There's no-one at the base curled up in a ball crying it out, no-one is going to throw the towel in, it's been a tough road to get to this Cup so we know the team can bounce back and respond and we're going to come out swinging."
A team from Italy has never won the America's Cup and Burling and his crew are ready for a fightback.
"I don't think the pressure ever comes off until you've done the last race," Burling said.
Wind conditions for Tuesday are forecast to barely break the required 6.5 knots for sailing - meaning it could be another day until the winner of the America's Cup is found.
